hi cyber-siblings in re symptoms that we 'present' there is still a stigma [reminiscent of the article about epilepsy] surrounding 'mental problems' as opposed to 'physical problems' i posted this last month and offer it again for what it's worth to those who may have missed it we are all up to our eyeballs [at least] in brain chemicals and the adjusting of same there but for grace... your syb-sys janet ----------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 09:33:09 -0400 From: janet paterson <[log in to unmask]> Subject: behaviour and symptoms ----------------------------------------- hi all lucy and kathie have described situations where my sibling parkies have exhibited behaviour/symptoms that is generally termed "psychotic" or "delusional" or ... i'm not certain of the correct terminology ... our brain chemistry is a living miracle it's a miracle that i can understand the words i am writing now it's a miracle that you can understand the words you are reading now let alone all the miracles that took place to get from me to you if that miraculous brain chemistry 'soup' recipe is out of balance we can exhibit a myriad of symptoms: tremour obsessiveness shuffling walk hostility uncontrollable profanity tiny handwriting full blown glorious rage total withdrawal wild dyskinetic movement seeing puppies on the kitchen floor frozen facial muscles the range and breadth of symptoms is breath-taking and all caused by the "recipe" being wrong: "a pinch of something" missing here and "a dash of something else" extra there so many of these physical and behavioural symptoms are still tainted by the associations in our minds with so-called craziness: "psychiatric hospital", "nut house", "loony bin", and my all-time favourite "insane asylum" but they are all "just" symptoms and indications that the chef has work to do yours in nutsiness janet [log in to unmask] ------------------------------